1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing device carrying out, at an image processing terminal, image processing on the basis of image data generated by various types of applications, or on the basis of drawing commands.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digitization has spread to the field of printing processing as well, and the trend toward DTP (Desktop Publishing) has advanced. In this way, a page layout is generated by generating, trimming, editing, and the like of an image in a processing device such as a personal computer, a work station, or the like by using applications. Generating of a film is carried out on the basis of this page layout, or generating of a press plate is carried out by direct exposure of a printing plate (CTP: Computer to Plate). Many applications for DTP as well have become popular.
On the other hand, in the field of DTP, when a proof print (proof) for carrying out proofreading of the generated page layout is printed out, a printer such as a color laser printer, a page printer, or the like is used as the print-out device. A processing device generating the page layout and the like is connected as an image processing terminal by a network or the like. In this way, generating of a proof can be easily carried out by drawing commands from respective image processing terminals.
In the applications used in the image processing terminals, various types of printing functions can be designated. By setting the printing functions on the drawing commands, image processing and print-out corresponding to the set printing functions are possible.
Such printing functions are set by a printer driver software (hereinafter, referred to as “printer driver”). Therefore, in order to use various types of printing functions, there is need to provide a printer driver at each image processing terminal.
On the other hand, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 11-15610, an application and a printer driver used in a client terminal are provided in a print server or an intermediate server. The application is activated on the server, and the setting of printing functions is carried out.
Further, in JP-A Nos. 8-147118 and 2000-353081, database files, in which settings for each application are stored, are provided in the image processing terminal. Setting of the printing functions for each application is carried out with reference to the database files.
However, in any case, complicated operation for setting printing functions must be carried out on the image processing terminal. Further, there are many cases in which the print job differs in accordance with the application, and the settings of the necessary printing functions will of necessity be changed. A problem arises in that, if there are mistakes in setting or settings are forgotten, a desired printout or the like cannot be obtained.
In particular, in accordance with the application, the color space is in an RGB format, or in a CMYK format. Further, when both are used together, there are cases in which image data, which has been unified into one of these two formats, is desired.